'Where does he fit?' - Frank Lampard questions £55m Man Utd transfer decision

Frank Lampard has questioned Manchester United's decision to sign Mason Mount without a clear plan of how he would fit into Erik ten Hag's plans.

Mount has struggled to make an impact since making the £55million move from Chelsea to United in the summer. Injuries have not helped the 25-year-old, who has been out of action for more than two months due to a calf injury and only played 12 times all season.

But even when fully fit, the England international underwhelmed as part of a disjointed midfield trio alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. United were often left wide open in the season's early weeks with Mount caught high and 31-year-old Casemiro exposed.

“He’s very driven. If you drop him, his face goes straight away – he’s one of those," Lampard told Stick To Football of Mount. "Not in a bad way, but he’s like, ‘I want to show you’. He will absolutely want to show you [he deserves to play], he’s very determined like that.

“I’m not just saying that because he’s my lad a bit and I’ve had a relationship on the pitch in terms of managing him, but I do think he’ll come good because of that and because of his talent. And once the team gets more structure, because I do think it’s important for a structure of a team to say you’re an aggressive 8 or you’re in a 10.

"And the only worry I had when he went to Man United was, where do Bruno Fernandes and him fit? You’ve also got Casemiro, and I know it’s starting to develop and change away from that already as an idea, but you kind of go: where do you fit?

“And I think when you are – and this is not to dig Mason or Man United out for bringing him in – but I think when you get a player of that level for that amount of money, you’ve got to go: this is the plan. That’s what I’d want to hear, and my question would be: where does he fit?”

Mount is hoping to return to action in the near future and could even be involved in the matchday squad for Sunday's FA Cup fourth round clash at Newport County. United will also welcome back Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, who were both in training, while Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo could also feature after long lay-offs.